ABOUT THIS ALBUM

“Hill country blues on acid. Pretty wild stuff.”CHUCK HADDIX, KCUR The Fish Fry. Co-author of Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to BeBop- a History”

Our Favorites from 2008 Local Artists on the Verge INK MAGAZINE

A blues-based rock duo. Just a drummer and guitarist. Does Kansas City have its own version of The White Stripes?

Not quite, but with their self-titled debut, The Billy Bats show promise.Upon listening to The Billy Bats, you’ll notice the talent of drummer Zach McCall and guitarist Jason Vivone. These skilled musicians can change direction while keeping the sound loose and catchy.

Some tunes build from a near whisper to a deep growl that could shake pictures off a wall.

The tracks are fast, powerful and intense.

Easily the best song on the album is “The Big Finish,” which combines a healthy mix of restraint and energy. The Billy Bats are able to create a much richer sound, which lets them shine on both ends of the songwriting spectrum.

“When that hungover morning-after feeling spills over into the afternoon, the Billy Bats are what you need to make the transition. No bass, but then again, it's not missed." JAMES PORTER, Chicago writer/musician/deejay, October 2008.

“It was one of our out of town gigs and someone said ‘Yeah, they have the Kansas City sound,”says slide guitarist and singer Jason Vivone.

The truth is no one sounds like The Billy Bats. You may have heard two pieces before – slide guitar and drums- but not with this kind of groove, not with songs like this. STLOUIS.COM

The Billybats will light up the stage with their low, low down, blues-infused rock. Expect everything from hazy bar room jams to raucous delta ballads. It’s all about the blues baby. OMAHA CITY WEEKLY

Jason Vivone is an extraordinary musician who sings and plays slide guitar. He is someone to watch and learn from as he plays. THE RAY COUNTY JOURNAL

Thursday August 13, 2009The band has played their two man blues boogies from Minneapolis to Chicago to New Orleans. “…but small towns are the best,” says singer/slide guitarist Jason Vivone. “I’m from a small town in Southeast Missouri and we used to go see live music at the band shell growing up. It’s important this continues.”

Audiences enjoy the sing-a-longs and get-up and dance feel of “The Billy Bats.” They will also be bringing their secret weapon, a cigar box guitar made by Greg Watkins of Memphis.

Vivone and McCall (drums, vocals) took similar paths before they teamed up together as “The Billy Bats.” As a teenager, Vivone received backstage guitar lessons from blues legends Hubert Sumlin, Jessie May Hemphill and Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis. He went from pioneering jam band Mama Courage to backing Elvis impersonators in Branson. McCall’s played everything from Chicago blues to bluegrass. Lately, he’s been displaying his talent on brushes and snare for a special portion of the show.THE DAILY NEWS/RICHMOND